Fredericton councillors brush up on heritage process before Risteen proposal arrives

Fredericton staff took councillors through the heritage designation process this week as city hall prepares for a controversial application that could bring down theoldRisteen building.

It's been publicly talked about in recent months that a developeris looking to tear down thestonebuilding, located at 102 Queen Street.

The 1820sbuilding was one of the first stone-cut buildings in New Brunswick, but it doesn't have a heritage designation.

Owner GabrielElzayathas said he wants to put apartments on the property, although he hasn't said his plans include demolition of the building, a former woodworking plant.

City staff haven't received an application from the developer yet but saidthey're expecting onesoon.

"I think everybody knows it's coming because it has been out in the media," Juan Estepa, the city's manager of heritage and urban design, told councillors.

"ButI think what people don't understand is what the process is, and a lot of people aren't even clear on what's designated or not."

In 2010, the Heritage Conservation Act came into effect, but Estepa said it hasn't been used in Fredericton under the current council, so staff came up with a refresher course.

"Rather than introduce everybody to the process sort of in the heat of the battle, and the heat of a decision needing to be made, we decided to be proactive."

The city has a map of buildings downtown that are colour-codedaccording to heritage-contributing characteristics.

The Risteen building is green for "significant," which means if an application came in from a developer, staff would issue a cease-work order for up to 60 days to give council a chance to designate the property heritage or not heritage.

If council designates the property as heritage, it would be added to the heritage bylaw area and the property would then beregulated under the preservation review board.

"Any development decision then becomes the purview of the preservation review board and not council."

If the property is not designated as a municipal heritage conservation area, the temporary order to cease activity would be rescinded and a demolition permit issued.

A handful of people from the public were at the council-in-committee meetingto see the heritage presentation, including Beth Biggs, a board member withFredericton Heritage Trust.

Biggs was not impressed with the information she heard.

"It begs to ask who are the people that are doing these assessments. What are their qualifications? It doesn't appear to be transparent at all."